Like many who have gone the LS swap route before him, Laflower endured his share of parts breakage early on as he figured things out. MAP sensor issues and other problems plagued his efforts, as he went through two 5.3s and a 6.0-liter engine in a span of a year. But at little more than $700 a pop, it was no big ordeal to go get another one.
That isn’t to suggest the combination wasn’t reliable, however. In 2016, Laflower and his GM-powered Javelin embarked on the test of man and machine that is Drag Week, which that year virtually encircled his home in Huntington. He completed the 1,000-plus mile trip, clocking a best of 10.290 in Norwalk, Ohio and finishing with a 10.528-second, 129.80 mph average to close the week in sixth-place in the Street Machine class — all with the boost turned down to meet the 10.00 minimum for the class. Last year he returned with more potency under the hood compliments of a billet-wheel
BorgWarner 85mm turbo, to take on the Super Street Small-Block Power Adder class. He again completed the entire journey, and again finished sixth, this time with an average lap of 8.846 at 153.13 mph and a best of 8.762. Interestingly, he finished one spot ahead of Hodson, who came in just behind at an 8.852-second average over the five days.
While another Drag Week factors into his plans, Laflower has turned to no-prep racing of late; last fall he trekked to Bowling Green, Kentucky and went deep into the late rounds in the small-tire class at the Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings filming, and has taken part in other no-prep events in Indiana and Michigan since.This season, Laflower procured a set of factory LS1 heads massaged by Mike Duke Racing Heads, which allowed him to dial the boost back from 32 pounds to 28, thus placing a little less stress on the stock bottom end while flowing enough air to the keep the performance in the same general range. He’s been a best of 8.64 at 158 mph with the 3,850-pound car (with driver), and while the GM mill has proven elsewhere that it can take more (a lot more, actually), LaFlower assures that he’s content with the current performance level that’s nearly nine full seconds quicker than it was when he bought it off that used car lot in Wabash, Indiana all those years ago.
